Wheelbarrow



April 8, 1952 J. E. O'SHEA 2,591,857

WHEELBARROW Filed Jan. 16, 1948 INVEN TOR. JOHN E. O'SHEA BY yfim 27422 A T TORNE Y Patented Apr. 8, 1952 WHEELBARROW John E. OShea, Long Beach, Calif., assignor to Arlington Sheet Metal Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application January 16, 1948, Serial N 0. 2,740

3 Claims.

This invention relates to wheelbarrows. More specifically the invention relates to an improved wheelbarrow especially adapted to carrying and dumping mixed concrete. The wheelbarrow of the invention thus has wide utility in the construction industry.

The conventional wheelbarrow has a chassis carrying a tray and supported off the ground by a single center mounted forward wheel and a pair of laterally spaced legs located intermediate the wheel and the lifting grips of the barrow. The more rugged wheelbarrows used in concrete work are generally fabricated of metal and are often provided with a rubber tire to facilitate use on rough or soft terrain. A recent- 1y developed wheelbarrow comprises a chassis which consists of a pair of elongated tubular side members appropriately joined so that they converge towards each other at their forward ends. A rounded nose is formed at the forward end by bending the side members back upon themselves to form a pair of rearwardly and upwardly extending legs. The bottom of the tray rests across the two side members while an inclined planar front portion of the tray abuts against and is afiixed to the inner ends of the two legs.

Many wheelbarrows have been provided with a nose extending forwardly from the wheel to serve as a support or rest when the barrow is being dumped. However, in many cases where concrete is being dumped into forms, etc.,'the nose is prevented from touching the ground by engagement of the lip of the tray with the edge of the form. In such case the rotation of the barrow from the Wheeling to the dumping position is about the point of contact of the tray lip with the form. Inasmuch as upward of 500 lbs. of concrete may be carried in a 5 cu. ft. barrow, for example, the tray is subjected to a large torque and a great deal of wear. -It is a fact that on most conventional wheelbarrows this is the first part to wear out.

In addition, the force necessary to pivot a concrete loaded barrow about'a bearing point formed by the edge of a form and the fiat under surface of the tray lip is tremendous. It is substantially impossible to accomplish this rotation by a I have overcome both the foregoing difliculties by the provision of a barrow having support means disposed adjacent and beneath the inclined planar front portion of the tray and positioned to engage the upper edge of a pouring form or the like, thus taking the strain off of the barrow tray. Further by joining these support means to legs extending rearwardly and upwardly from a projecting nose in a smooth outwardly opening curve, I have provided a pair of laterally aligned curvilinear edges which facilitate the rotation of the wheelbarrow when this edge is engaged with the upper edge of a concrete form.

The wheelbarrow of the invention comprises a chassis including a pair of elongated side members each having a curved nose portion on the front thereof. A -pair of cross members join the side members in spaced relationship so that the longitudinal axes thereof converge toward the nose portion and a cross member joins the side members adjacent the nose portion. A tray having "a flat bottom and a planar inclined front portion rests on the first mentioned cross members. The aforesaid nose portion is formed by bending the front end of each of the side members in a smooth curve to form a pair of rearwardly and upwardly extending arms making an angle of approximately with the planar inclined front portion of the tray. In the improved wheelbarrow of the invention the rearwardly and upwardly extending arms are curved upwardly and forwardly adjacent the point of contact with the front of the tray to form a pair of support members extending along the bottom of the front portion of the tray and forming a continuous curvilinear edge with the rearwardly and upwardly extending arms. A member aifixed across these support members adjacent the arms provides means for affixing the planar front portion of the tray to the support arms. A ground wheel rotatably mounted between the side members so that the locus of rotation thereof is rearward of the noseportion and a pair of legs depending from each of the side portions rearwardly from the ground wheel serve to complete the wheelbarrow.

' The invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description thereof taken in relation to the accompanying drawing in which;

Fig. l is a sideview of the wheelbarrow;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the chassis of the wheelbarrow of Fig. 1;

Fig; 3 is a side elevation of the chassis of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 illustrates the manner of use of the barrow in relation to a conventional concrete form.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the wheelbarrow comprises a tray III supported on a chassis I2 which includes a pair of side members I3 and I4 curved at their forward end to form the nose portions I 5 and I6 respectively. The nose formed by the bends I5 and I6 in the side members I3, I 5 will be hereinafter referred to as the nose I5. Cross members I8 and I9 affixed at opposite ends to the two side members serve to hold the side members in spaced relationship and to align the side members so that the longitudinal axes thereof converge towards the nose I5. The side members I3 and I4 are bent at I5 and I6 respectively to form the nose portions and extend reawardly and upwardly therefrom to form the arms 2| and 22 respectively. The arms 2| and 22 terminate at their rearward ends in the upwardly and forwardly extending supports or braces 24 and 25 respectively. A cross member 26 is afiixed between the two side members at the nose portions thereof and a cross member 21 joins the two supports 22, 25 adjacent the arms 2 I, 22.

A wheel hanger 3!) depends from the side member I3 rearwardly from the nose and a like hanger 3| depends from the side member I4 in lateral alignment with the wheel hanger 30. A wheel 32 is rotatably journalled to the hangers 30, 3| on an axle 33. The wheel 32 may carry a rubber tire 34 as shown. The wheel hangers 30, 3| are so spaced that the nose I5 extends forwardly beyond the outer periphery of the tire 34. A conventional leg 36 depends vertically from the cross member I8 being affixed thereto at point 3'! and is provided with an inclined brace 38 which is aflixed to the forward cross member I9 at the point 39. A similar leg (not shown) depends from the cross member I8 at the point 40 and is provided with an inclined brace aflixed to the cross member I9 at point 4|. For added rigidity the leg 36 and the brace 38 are joined by a tie-rod 42 and the leg 36 and the identical leg (not shown) depending from the opposite side of the wheelbarrow are joined to each other by the tie-rod M, (Fig. l).

The tray III has a planar bottom IIi resting on and affixed to the supports I8 and I9 and a planar forwardinclined portion 41 abutting against and affixed to the cross member 21.

Improvements in the wheelbarrow of the invention center around the relationship of the arms 2 I, 22, the upwardly and forwardly extending braces 2 25, and the inclined planar front portion 47 of the tray I0. The nose portion I5 of the side member I3 and similarly the nose portion of the side member I4 are formed by bending the side member back upon itself at an angle theta (6), (Figs. 1 and 3). The angle theta is selected so that the longitudinal axes of the arms 2|, 22 are at right angles to the front inclined section 41 of the tray I0. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in the drawings, the braces 24, 25 are formed by bending the upper end of the arms 2 I, 22 respectively at right angles so as to form a smooth curved edge 50 between the support arm 23 and the riser 2| and a similar curved and laterally aligned edge between the riser 22 and the support arm 25. By including an angle of 90 between the arms 2 I, 22 and the integrally formed braces 24, 25 the latter are disposed in a plane parallel to the plane of the front portion of the tray I0. In this manner the 4 major surface of the cross member 21 is aligned with the front of the tray II) which is affixed thereto.

The operation of the wheelbarrow and particularly the functioning of the braces is illustrated in Fig. 4, which shows a conventional pouring form 60 partially filled with concrete 64 and having longitudinal braces BI, 62, etc. An inclined ramp 65 and a splash board 66 are conventional accessories to facilitate pouring into such a form.

In many cases when pouring into a hole or into a form that does not extend above a ramp a distance greater than the length of the arms 2 I, 22 the wheelbarrow may be pivoted about the nose I5 resting on the ground or on the ramp. However, in many cases, as shown in Fig. 4, this is not possible. In such case, with conventional wheelbarrows, it is the practice to rest the lip of the tray II) on the edge of the form, as above described. In the wheelbarrow of the present invention the braces 24, 25 serve this purpose and take the brunt of the wear off of the tray I0. As the wheelbarrow starts to discharge concrete as shown in Fig. 4, the arms 2 I, 22 will be rotated to a vertical position at which point the planar inclined section 47 of the tray will assume a horizontal position. Because of the comparatively large angle of repose of ordinary concrete mix only a small portion of concrete contained in the tray ID will dump in this position. The most difficult part of the dumping operation comes at the point when the center of gravity of the load approaches vertical alignment with the pivot point of the barrow. It is at this stage in the dumping when the curvature between the arms 2|, 22 and the braces 24, 25 will expedite rotation of the wheelbarrow. A continuous curvilinear bearing surface is formed about which the barrow may be rotated by exerting a steady upward thrust on the grip end of the side members I3, I4. The manner of exerting this thrust is illustrated by the hand I0 in Fig. 4. This curvilinear bearing surface formed between the rearwardly extending arms and the underlying braces serves to facilitate the rotation of the barrow when it is suspended from a concerte form in the same manner that the curvilinear nose on the barrow of the invention and on many conventional barrows serves to facilitate rotation of the wheelbarrow when the nose is in contact with the ground or the ramp, etc.

I have provided an improvement in wheelbarrows which reduces the strain normally imposed on the forward lip of the wheelbarrow tray and correlatively reduces the wear on the tray. Further the wheelbarrow of the invention is easier to dump in those applications where the point of suspension is the top of the form or the like, rather than the ground.

I claim:

1. In a wheelbarrow, a chassis including a pair of elongated side members each having a curved nose portion at the front thereof, an intermediate cross member and a rear cross member joining the side members in spaced relationship so that the longitudinal axes thereof converge toward the nose portions, a forward cross member joining said nose portions, a tray having a planar bottom engaging said intermediate and rearward cross members and a planar inclined front portion, said side members having arms extending rearwardly and upwardly from said nose portion toward the approximate midpoint of said planar front portion, said arms curving additionally upwardly and forwardly adjacent the planar front wheelbarrow may be supported on the edge of a pouring form, an upper cross member affixed to the braces adjacent the planar front portion of the tray, means afiixing said last named portion of the tray to the upper cross member, a ground wheel rota-tably'mounted between the side members so that the center of rotation thereof is rearward of the nose portion and below the upwardly curving portion of said arms, and a .pair of legs each supported from the intermediate and rear cross members.

2. In a wheelbarrow, a chassis including a pair of elongated side members each having a curved nose portion at the front thereof, an intermediate cross member and a rear cross member joining the side members in spaced relationship so that the longitudinal axes thereof converge toward the nose portions, a forward cross member joining said noseportions, a tray having a planar bottom engaging said intermediate and rearward cross members and a planar inclined front portion, said side members having arms extending rearwardly and upwardly from said nose portion toward a point on such planar front portion spaced substantially below the upper margin thereof, said arms curving additionally upwardly and forwardly adjacent the planar front portion of the tray and extending parallel thereto to form underlying braces upon which the wheelbarrow may be supported on the edge of a pouring form, an upper cross member afiixed to the braces adjacent the planar front portion of the nose portion at the front thereof, an intermediate cross member and a rear cross member joining the side members in spaced relationship so that the longitudinal axes thereof converge toward the nose portions, a forward cross member joining said nose portions, a tray having a planar bottom engaging said intermediate and rearward cross members and a planar inclined front portion, said side members having arms extending rearwardly and upwardly from said nose portion toward the approximate midpoint of said planar front section and at an angle of approximately thereto, said arms curving additionally upwardly and forwardly adjacent the planar front portion of the tray and extending parallel thereto to form underlying braces upon which the wheelbarrow may be supported on the edge of a pouring form, an upper cross member afiixed to the braces adjacent the planar front portion of the tray, means aiiixing said last named portion of the tray to the upper cross member, a ground wheel rotatably mounted between the side members so that the center of rotation thereof is rearward of the nose portion and below the upwardly curving portion of said arms, and a pair of legs each supported from the intermediate and rear cross members.

JOHN E. OSHEA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

- UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 301,473 Bean July 8, 1884 355,245 Annin Dec. 28, 1886 1,436,965 Landkamer Nov. 28, 1922 2,247,083 Garlinghouse June 24, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 256,385 Italy Dec. 23, 1927 

